The high cost of many smartphones makes it economically viable to repair a damaged smartphone rather than replace it. While a consumer might well throw away an inexpensive cellphone if the screen cracked after being dropped, the consumer will instead repair an expensive smartphone. As a result, there is a substantial market for replacing cracked screens and other parts of smartphones.
One common method of separating the parts of a smartphone uses liquid nitrogen (N2) that is poured on the screen of the smartphone. The top glass layer of a smart phone is typically adhered to the layers of the touch screen below it by means of a layer of optical clear adhesive. After a few seconds of the liquid nitrogen resting on the surface of the glass, the optical clear adhesive freezes and loses its adhesive properties. A simple tap on the glass is then sufficient to separate the glass layer from the touch screen components.
Recently, however, curved screens and bendable screens have entered the smartphone marketplace. The surface glass of these devices is not flat and the components and materials for the display assembly are significantly different than those in flat screen displays. Also, removing these screens is further complicated because the liquid nitrogen will simply run off the curved surface of the glass. Therefore, there is a need for improved techniques for repairing the curved and/or flexible screens of a smartphone. There is a further need for a device that will optimize the environment and conditions in using liquid nitrogen that will prevent defects when the temperature is very low and the surface screen is being separated.